Former Nevada youth pastor denies guilt in suicide note before death in jail

David Vander Meer, once a youth pastor in Las Vegas, faced murder and insurance fraud charges related to the 2006 death of his wife, Bernadette, who fell from a cliff in Utah. After being booked in Clark County Detention Center, he was found unresponsive on June 24 and pronounced dead on June 25 following self-inflicted strangulation. A suicide note and will found near his body asserted his innocence while admitting he had been selective about details of his spouse’s death.

He expressed belief that a trial would likely result in conviction and mentioned financial support from an unnamed benefactor. The sheriff’s office said a comprehensive investigation into the death will be undertaken. Bernadette’s 2006 fall had originally been ruled accidental, but later investigations raised suspicions.